WORCESTER – A federal grand jury in Worcester indicted a local man on charges of possessing and transporting child pornography on Tuesday.
Brian Lingard, 60,. of Shrewsbury, faces allegations of both transportation and possession of child pornography. Lingard, who was initially charged on Oct. 27, 2023, following a criminal complaint, was released on conditions after his arrest on Oct. 30, 2023.
Charging documents state that on Oct. 19, 2023, Lingard arrived in Boston from Paris. During a customs screening, he was allegedly found with images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone. Further investigation and a search at Lingard’s residence uncovered more alleged CSAM stored on his devices.
Analysis of the SD card from Lingard’s phone revealed approximately 23 images of CSAM, with minors who appear to be under 10 years old. Notably, at least two images depict minors identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as victims of child sexual abuse.
As This Week in Worcester previously reported, prosecutors said at the time of his arrest that images were discovered of fully clothed, minor females which appear to be taken secretly in a school setting during the search of his home. Metadata associated with the images allegedly revealed they were taken at Shrewsbury high School, where Lingard was a mentor to the Shrewsbury High School Robotics Team.
Additionally, it is alleged that a computer in Lingard’s Shrewsbury home contained about 135 videos of CSAM, primarily involving female minors aged between three and 12 years old.
The public is encouraged to contact 617-748-3274 with any questions, concerns, or information regarding this case.
The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
